Intercepted communications and documents obtained by POLITICO provide insights into a covert operation allegedly conducted by the Belarusian government under President Alexander Lukashenko.

The operation, which began in 2021, is reported to have facilitated illegal migration from Belarus into the European Union (EU) as a form of political pressure.

The starting point of this initiative coincided with the imposition of EU sanctions against Belarus following the contested presidential elections in 2020, which resulted in mass protests and a government crackdown.

In this context, Belarusian authorities are purported to have used state resources and entities to assist migrants in reaching the EU border.

Documents reveal coordination between Belarusian security forces and state-controlled travel agencies, which helped migrants, primarily from the Middle East and Africa, enter Belarus ostensibly for tourism or business.

Reports indicate that these travel agencies, including Oskartour and Tsentrkurort, arranged visas and accommodations for the migrants.

Despite dismissals of responsibility by Belarusian officials and claims of innocence from Lukashenko himself, intercepted communications between officials at these agencies suggest knowledge and facilitation of the migrants' intentions to seek entry into the EU. Former Belarusian officials also reported that migrants were encouraged or even organized by Belarusian border forces to attempt crossings into neighboring countries like Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

The trajectory of migrants frequently involved complex itineraries, including initial flights to Russia followed by travel to Belarus.

Payments for these journeys reportedly ranged from $6,000 to $15,000.

The strategy, characterized by critics as 'hybrid warfare,' has led to heightened tensions in the region.

It has been reported that Polish and EU border guards have engaged in pushbacks, creating humanitarian concerns along the Belarus-EU borders.

Moreover, the EU has accused Belarus of using migrants as political tools to leverage EU policy shifts and sanctions relief, an allegation Lukashenko has publicly denied.

Current reports suggest the practice is ongoing, albeit with a reduced scale but increased organizational sophistication.

Observers note that the Belarusian regime appears to modulate these migrant flows in response to geopolitical developments and EU member states' diplomatic stances.

Both EU leaders and rights organizations continue to monitor the situation closely as diplomatic discussions and regional security strategies evolve in response to these challenges.